Clothes washing implement



y 6, 19484 c. v. BERRY CLOTHES WASHING IMPLEMENT Filed March 29, 1944 Patented July 6, 1948 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a miniature wash board and it is one object of the invention to provide a device of this character of such construction that it may be carried in a traveling bag without occupying much space and used by a lady While traveling, for washing articles of personal apparel in her room at a hotel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wash board of such size that it may be applied to a persons hand and used while washing handkerchiefs and other articles of apparel in a wash basin or the like.

Another object is to so form the wash board that it will fit fiat against the palm of a persons hand and have portions for engagement by the fingers and thumb so that it will be held to the hand and prevented from slipping out of position for use.

Another object is to provide a wash board having associated with it a container in the form of a small box adapted to contain soap, sewing accessories, and the like, when the board is not in use for laundrying purposes, a cover for one end of the box serving as means for detachably holding the box and the wash board in engagement with each other.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is simple in construction, light in weight, and capable of being manufactured at small cost.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the box associated with the wash board, the cover being removed from the box and exposing contents of the box.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken longitudinally through the assembled wash board and box.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing the wash board applied to a persons hand for use.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the assembled wash board and box.

The wash board, the box or container, and its cover, may be formed of plastic, light metal, or other suitable material and these elements are of such size that they may be assembled as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 and placed in a bag or suit case where they will occupy little space. The wash board itself is of such size that when it is in use it may be applied to a persons hand, as shown in Fig. 3, and very conveniently used for washing handkerchiefs and personal laundry in a wash basin by a lady staying at a hotel or rooming house.

The box I is rectangular in cross section and 2 open at one end, the open end of the box or container being closed by a cover 2 which fits about the open end of the box, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. As shown in Fig. l, a cake of soap and sewing 5 accessories such as scissors, spools of cotton, and needles, may be kept in the box when not in use, and readily removed therefrom when the cover is removed from the box.

The wash board 3 has a fiat, sheet-like body of such length and width that it may be conveniently placed against the palm of a persons hand and portions of the fingers, and transversely extending ribs 4 extend across the outer face of the wash board for rubbing contact with an article to be laundered. At its front end, the wash board is formed with a hood 5 which is of such dimensions that it will fit snugly about the closed end of the box and also conveniently receive the fingers of a persons hand. This hood has its front wall formed with openings 5' through which the fingers are passed and a side edge of the body 3 is formed with a recess Bspaced rearwardly from the hood and so located that the thumb of the hand may be engaged in said recess and the wash board held against transverse movement or longitudinal movement during use of the wash board. When use of the wash board is no longer required, the box is placed against the rear face of the plate-like body and its closed end thrust forwardly into the hood, the cover 2 being then applied to the open end of the box with one side flange of the box overlapping the rear end of the plate-like body. Since the rear end of the body is of reduced width and corresponds to approximately the width of the box, the cover may be readily applied and also this reduced rear end of the body will, to some extent, conform to the width of a persons wrist.

The fact that the board is applied to the box when not in use prevents it from being bent out of shape or otherwise damaged when packed in a traveling bag.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

A clothes washing implement comprising a plate approximating the area of a users hand and adapted for resting the hand upon one face thereof, the opposite face of said plate being constituted as a ribbed wash-board, said hand resting face carrying a pocket at its end, said pocket having holes for therethrough protruding the users fingers for grasping the implement, a receptacle for detergent and mending articles adapted to have its closed end portion fitting into 55 said pocket, and a, cover for said receptacle adapted to envelop the open end portion of said receptacle together with an end portion of said plate UNITED STATES PATENTS to lock said plate and receptacle to each other. Number Name Date 94,477 Crowell Sept. '7, 1869 CLIFTON v BERRY, 5 2 3,12 Finley Apr. 30, 1878 D. 23,750 Phelps Oct. 30, 1894 D. 59,079 Harwi Sept. 30, 1921 REFERENCES CITED 1,783,788 Hatchett Dec. 2, 1930 v V v 2,083,565 Hothersall June 15, 1937 'f f igg gfig ggg are mm m the 2,186,962 Foss Jan, 16, 1940 

